Whats the cause of arthritis
Your credits are exhausted. You can purchase a top-up or subscribe to a plan to continue using Orris. If you're already subscribed, your daily credits will reset tomorrow.
Whats the cause for arthritis
Reading File
Finding Sources
Searching PubMed
arthritis AND etiology
Searching the Web
arthritis causes CDC osteoarthritis rheumatoid arthritis gout infection
Arthritis is not one disease. It is a broad term for joint conditions that cause pain, stiffness, swelling, or loss of movement. The cause depends on the type:
- Osteoarthritis: Wear and gradual breakdown of joint cartilage over time. Risk is higher with aging, previous joint injury, repeated heavy joint loading, obesity, and family tendency.
- Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease. The immune system mistakenly attacks the joint lining. Genetics and smoking raise risk, but the exact trigger is not fully known.
- Gout: Uric acid crystals build up in a joint, often suddenly affecting the big toe.
- Pseudogout (CPPD): Calcium pyrophosphate crystals deposit in joints, commonly the knee or wrist.
- Infectious or septic arthritis: Bacteria, and less often viruses or fungi, infect a joint. This needs urgent care.
- Post-infectious arthritis: Joint inflammation can occur after certain gut or genital infections.
- Psoriatic arthritis and lupus-related arthritis: Inflammation driven by immune-system disorders.
- Trauma or joint damage: Old fractures, ligament injuries, or repeated joint stress can lead to arthritis later.
Family history, smoking, overweight, prior injury, and some infections can increase risk, but not everyone with these factors develops arthritis. The CDC arthritis overview notes that some forms have no known single cause.
Seek urgent medical care if one joint becomes suddenly very painful, hot, red, swollen, or you have fever, because infection must be ruled out quickly.
This is a shared conversation. Sign in to Orris to start your own chat.